Sinister Stones
by CroonerWhore
Summary: Hey, pooh bear. I think we've upset the children.' To everyone's surprise, their leader let out a laugh. 'Yeah, sweetheart. I think we did.' Chapter Nine is up.
1. Rolling the Stone

**Hello, everyone. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, of any kind, really. And I know this plot has been done a million times, but what the hell, eh? A million and one just seems like a cooler number. This story has been floating around in my head for months, so I finally decided to write it. Here goes nothing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Really, not even the clothes I'm wearing. Borrowed 'em from a homeless man a few mothns back. So have fun trying to get something out of me.**

* * *

**Sinister Stones**

_"Excuse me? Sir, this is an all boys camp,"_ the voice crackled on the other end of the phone.

"I understand that, Warden. But she's been kicked out of every juvenile facility we've sent her to," Judge Monahan said. His brow was scrunched up in frustration as his fingers made small circles around his left temple. A vain attempt at trying to ward off the migraine he knew was bound to come. This girl has been a waste of his time. She, to him, was unredeemable. So this is what it came down to. It was his last choice, his very last choice. After this, they'd probably have to start seeking imprisonment in other states. And that was a lot of paper work he just didn't want to do. He still had his postponed game of golf with the Mayor to think of.

He heard her sigh, annoyed, over the shaky connection. His head started to hurt.

"Walker, you owe me." He smirked to himself as he imagined her face pale. He had her, and they both knew it.

"_There is nothing else, then?"_ she asked, defeated.

"No."

"_When can we expect her, then?"_

"Tomorrow. Until then, we'll keep her in the court's cell." He didn't wait for her to respond, he just placed the phone down gently in the receiver. Leaning back in his chair, he exhaled loudly. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

The Warden sat down in her kitchen table chair. She stared at the phone as though it was going to get up and start dancing. This couldn't be happening. A girl? At her camp? Girls were weak. She had no use for them. They just bitched and whined and made things more difficult. And they couldn't dig. Except for her, girls were a waste of flesh and organs. She picked the phone back up and dialed out to one of the camp's other phones. 

"Marion, we have a problem. You need to fix it."

And with that she hung up. She cursed her debt to Judge Monahan.

The next two years should be interesting. If the girl lasted, that is.

* * *

The boys of D-Tent were quieter than usual that night. They hadn't said a word at dinner and had opted to go back to their tent instead of the wreck room. Lying in his cot, X-Ray was staring at the darkness surrounding him, trying to shake off the images from earlier that day. Shit, he wanted to go home. They all did. But being so desperate that you let a rattle snake snack on your big toe? No fucking way. Although he liked the guy, respected him enough to give him his nickname, he always had the feeling that Barfbag was a little…off. Boy must be crazy to do what he did. At least he wasn't stupid enough to try it with a lizard. 

"Man, you think he's okay?" X heard a voice come from one of the cots on the other side of the room, jarring him from his musings.

"Yeah, Mag. He's okay. He's probably at home right now, sitting on his couch and watching a movie with his parents." Another voice said. Armpit. X smiled at the thought. What a lucky bastard.

"His parents are dead, stupid," he heard Squid say quietly from the cot next to him. "Even if he made it, there ain't nobody waitin' for him." Everyone started up at that moment. Some angry at what Squid was saying, some just angry at the world. X rolled over and let his voice echo loud enough to get them to listen. Not that he ever had trouble making people listen to him.

"Everybody shut the hell up. We still gotta dig tomorrow."

The boys quieted immediately. X frowned deeply and went back to staring at the dark ceiling.

He dreaded tomorrow. The looks, the rumors, the questions. As much as he pretended to not give a shit about anything but himself, he felt he had a responsibility to protect his boys. He was the self-appointed leader, after all.

Yeah, no doubt about it. Tomorrow was gonna be interesting.

* * *

Charlene Brickman winced as the guard pushed her into the cell. She landed none too gracefully on the poor excuse for a mattress. A deep laugh came from behind her and she turned to see the guard looking at her with amusement on his face. 

"Not so tough, now are we?" he asked, sneering a bit at her. She stared at him, completely unfazed by the mocking. He continued to laugh to himself, but a little bit more awkwardly as she continued to apathetically stare at him. He cleared his throat and waved her off, walking back to his desk chair.

"And look at you," she said, shortly after he sat down. "A little rent-a-cop with a taser. Tell me, how does one fail out of the academy?"

"Shut up, kid. This taser may look wimpy, but it's definitely not pleasant if you're on the receiving end." She smirked at him. 30,000 volts of electricity surging through her body was the least of her worries. Maybe, if she got him to do it long enough, she wouldn't have to go to this all-boys camp they were shipping her off to.

"Try me, tubby," she taunted. His hand twitched, aching to taser the bitch out of this girl, but he held tough. The judge would have his head if anything happened to her.

She rolled her eyes, knowing that getting a reaction out of this guy was going to be a long battle, and truthfully, she wasn't up to it. She was tired. It had been a long week and getting kicked out of the seventh facility in the past three months was just the cherry to add to that.

She hadn't meant to get kicked out, really. She had even tolerated a few of the girls there. But Martha fucking asked for it. She did. Practically leaning over her _begging_ to get the shit beat out of her. Granted, Charlie probably shouldn't have grabbed the pencil and shoved it through the bitch's hand. But hey, retrospect was a sick son-of-a-bitch.

Charlie stretched her legs out on the bed, and leaned back on her folded hands. She definitely wasn't looking forward to the next two years. An all-boys camp? Yeah, she hated girls. But in all honesty, she hated guys more. Her history with them was shaky at best. Especially the ones with criminal pasts. She allowed a shudder to run through her shackled body, resisting the urge to scream.

Yeah, she might have been a bitch, but really, she didn't deserve this shit.

_Jesus,_ she thought. _This should be really fucking interesting._

**A/N: And there's the first chapter. Please review, I'd like to know what y'all thought.**


	2. Angry Cowboys

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone execpt for Charlene and all things associated with her intial character. Yeah.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

The bus clanked loudly under her, jerking her body roughly back and forth across her seat. She could hear the guard and the driver talking quietly under their breaths and strained to hear what they were saying. But they apparently knew the bus. Knew that it was impossible to hear whispering over the clangs it was making. So she gave up.

She took instead, to staring out the dusty windows, trying to count every cactus they passed. She was at five hundred and sixty-two when she spotted a large hole. And then another. And another. A strange thought crossed her mind that maybe, just maybe, there were dead bodies in them. But that thought flickered for only a second as the numbers of holes multiplied. Soon enough most of the land was covered with them. Her body jolted forward as the bus came to a screeching halt. Looking to her right, she saw the camp, her _home_ for the next couple years.

The guard, holding a large shotgun, motioned with a nod of the head that it was time to get up. She obliged, her shackles rattling as she did. Following him off the bus, she noticed a few boys watching intently. She could see their eyes widen and she felt a shiver run up her spine. They were looking at her voraciously. Her head started to spin, but she kept her chin high, her walk determined.

She continued to stare straight ahead, at the back of the guard, and followed him to a shady looking establishment. A burst of cold air hit her in the face as she approached the door way, and she knew right then that that was the only time she'd be feeling that in the next two years. She wanted to savor that feeling.

Entering the building, she saw a stout man sitting behind the desk. His fingers were tapping anxiously. A burlap sack sat to the side of his left hand. He quickly stuck his hand in and pulled out a pile of sunflower seeds and shoved them in his mouth. Charlie gagged.

He was an ugly man, chubby and angry looking. He wore a cowboy hat and a plaid shirt tucked into some denim jeans. She could only picture the steel toed cowboy boots she was sure he was wearing. He acknowledged the guard with a nod and pulled out two sodas. Her hand twitched as she started to acknowledge her own thirst. But she kept still otherwise. As much as she wished, she knew that the sodas were not for her. She was a delinquent. And _delinquents_ didn't get privileges like drinking soda. The man handed both of them to the guard.

"One for the driver," the man grunted. She cringed inside. His voice was uglier than his appearance. It was Texan and gritty. It grated on her bones in the most annoying of ways.

The guard sat the bottles on the desk and pulled out a ring of keys. Locating one of the smaller one with ease, he unfastened the shackles around her wrists. The ankles soon followed. All of a sudden she felt about fifty pounds lighter and took that opportunity to rub her chaffed wrists.

The guard nodded his thanks and left as quietly as he came.

The two sat for a few seconds, studying the person in front of them. Charlie had already decided that she would not like this man. And by the look of disgust on his face, she could tell the feeling was mutual.

"Sit," he ordered. She did slowly, taking time to stretch her legs and back. His left eyebrow popped up in anticipation. After taking a seat, she looked expectantly at the man. Waiting for him to speak. Tell her his name or something. Anything. He cleared his throat loudly.

"Name's Mr. Sir. If you talk to me, you call me by my name. Got that, girlie?" he asked, his face etched in a glare, daring her to react to his name.

"Yes, Mr. Sir," she said stoically. The name sounded odd coming off her tongue, but she guessed with a name like that, it's always going to sound odd. He considered her for a moment, almost surprised by her lack of interested at the hilarity of his name.

"What's your name, girlie?" he asked, leaning back in his cushioned chair.

"You have the file in front of you, I'd imagine. I'm sure you know my name," she said. "Mr. Sir," she added almost as an afterthought. He didn't faze her, didn't scare her in the least. She'd met far worse men. His frown seemed to deepen and he grabbed for a larger handful of seeds.

"Listen, girlie. I know your name. Just making sure you ain't drugged out your mind or anything. So, tell me your name," he said. She smirked. This guy was going to be easy to fuck with.

"Charlie."

"Charlie what?" he prodded. Her smirk widened.

"Charlie freakin' Brown." His eyes widened and he leapt from his chair. Moving quickly so he was inches away from her face, he huffed an angry breath on her. She flinched slightly at the smell. It was rank, as though the man had never been introduced to a toothbrush.

"What did you say, girlie?" he whispered in her face. She had to give it to him. Intimidation was definitely his strong suit. It was a shame he was wasting it on her.

"Nothing, Mr. Sir," her voice was even. Unfazed. This seemed to piss Mr. Sir off even more. His breath was labored and she saw from her peripheral that he was clenching and unclenching his fists. She looked him straight in the eye, daring him silently to hit her. He broke eye contact by standing straight up and walking back to his chair.

"Damn right, nothing," he muttered under his breath.

Yep. This guy was too easy.

He reached for a manila folder sitting closed on his desk and opened it.

"Charlene Brickman, 16." He read the rest of her file to himself before looking back up at her. "You got quite a wrap sheet, girlie."

"Impressive, no, Mr. Sir?" she asked. She saw the edge of his lip twitch up slightly.

"Says here you got twenty four mothns. That's a lotta time we gonna be spendin' together. Better make the most of it." He stood and moved around to the door, grunting loudly at her. She took that as her cue to follow him. After closing her eyes quickly, trying to relish the feeling of air conditioning, she stood and followed.

"This is Camp Green Lake. Before you go runnin' your mouth, there ain't no lake. So keep your yap shut." Charlie smiled despite herself. This man was amusing, if nothing else.

"Come on," he said, gesturing gruffly with his hand. "We gotta get you your clothes." She followed him into another building on their right. There was a boy standing behind a table, clad in an orange jump suit. He stared at her with wide eyes, frozen. She had the right mind to tell him what she'd do with those if he didn't get them off of her.

"What you looking at, boy," Mr. Sir demanded. "Ain't you never seen a girl before?" The boy stuttered in response and Charlie bit the side of her cheek to keep from laughing. Mr. Sir _was_ good for something.

Mr. Sir grabbed a small jump suit and threw it at her.

"Change into that," he barked. She stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to realize what he just told her to do. His eyes burned with annoyance before he reluctantly turned around. She cleared her throat and Mr. Sir smacked the boy beside him. The boy, red faced, turned around as well. She quickly took off her pants and flip flops and pulled on the orange suit.

"Dressed, Mr. Sir," she said. He turned back around and snorted.

"Even the smallest ain't small 'nough for you, girlie." It was true. She could probably fit another half of her in there. He threw her another suit and a pair of socks before grabbing a pair of work boots and tossing them near her bare feet. She put the yellowed socks on and then pulled the shoes on, lacing them up quickly.

"Now, these are your clothes for the next 24 months. One is your work clothes, one is your resting clothes. Laundry is done every three days, in which your resting clothes will become your work clothes and you'll get a clean one for your resting clothes. Got it?" She nodded stiffly. Easy enough to follow. "Now every day, includin' Saturday and Sunday, you're gonna dig a hole. Now each hole has to be five feet deep and five across. Use your shovel as a measuring stick."

_Holes?_ she thought to herself. _We have to _dig_ those holes?_ She was shocked by this for some reason. But she didn't let it show. The one thing she was most proud of herself for was her ability to keep a mean poker face. The one thing her daddy taught her.

"Breakfast is served at 4:30am," Mr. Sir continued. "Now just cause you a girl, don't mean you're gonna get any special treatment. The slower you dig, the longer you sit in the sun. If you dig up anything interestin', you show it to me or any of the other counselors. Once you're done with your hole, the rest of the day is yours." Charlie nodded her head in comprehension. Mr. Sir opened his mouth to say something else, but at that moment, another man came marching through the door. He was shorter and much skinner than Mr. Sir, and had a patch of sunscreen across his nose. He also wore a straw hat on his head and seemed to have a much sunnier disposition than Mr. Sir. She knew instantly that she'd rather deal with Mr. Sir. Anger she understood. Happiness? That was another story.

"Charlene Brickman, I just want you to know that even though you have done bad things, it does not mean you are a bad person!" he greeted. And odd greeting that teetered on her last nerve.

"My name is Mr. Pendanski! My name is easy to remember! It's three words put together: pen, dance, and key!" Charlie heard Mr. Sir grunt and she turned to him, she caught his eye and a look of understanding passed between them. This guy was nuts and she was going to have to keep her anger in control. She knew that Mr. Sir was the same way.

"Now Miss Brickman, please follow me, for I will lead you down the path of redemption! And also the path to your tent!"

Charlie stood for moment, unsure if she wanted to follow him. Mr. Sir passed her, throwing out one last statement before exiting the building.

"Welcome to Camp Green Lake, girlie. Where the weirdoes come out an' play."


	3. Dirty Glasses

**A/N: Here's the third chapter. A lot of the descriptions are from the book, whereas the people descriptions are from the movie. It's gonna be intermingled like that throughout the story. So, yeah. Here goes.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Dirt Covered Glasses **

Charlie followed Pendanski out into the sun, feeling the heat ten times more in her jump suit. Pendanski rambled on about mess halls, rec rooms, and other such sights at the camp, before finally stopping in front of a large, grey tent. There was a black 'D' hanging over the entrance, and aside from the letter, it looked exactly the same as tents A through C.

_Ah, blissful monotony,_ she thought. She found it refreshing, in an ironic sort of way, that everything here was the _same_.

"Now you will be staying in D-tent. D stands for diligence!" Mr. Pendanski said. Charlie shuddered at the perkiness in his voice. Pendanski motioned for her to follow him inside.

Charlie entered the tent and took in her surroundings. There were eight beds lined up against the walls, four on each side, and had about two feet in between each of them. There was one bed, though, that was a bit further away from them all, but only a couple more feet. It was also the only one that had a crate by the foot of the bed. The rest of the crates were lined up on the back wall. Pendanski marched over to the 'special' bed and stood beside it, hands on his hips and ever-present smile plastered on his face.

"This will be your bed. We took the liberty of separating you from the boys as much as we could. Also, we're putting your crate here, by the bed, just in case you need any…'womanly things'," Pendanski said, shifting awkwardly with the last part. Charlie smirked at that.

"You'll find your belongings in the crate already. The Warden, herself, asked to looked through them. Just to make sure you're not sneaking in anything," he said cheerily. Charlie wondered exactly what she'd be trying to smuggle in exactly. Her past few homes have been even more locked down and strict than this one seemed to be. The second place she stayed, they only allowed a tooth brush.

Honestly, she really didn't care what they took, as long as she had some thin clothes left. It was hot.

Just then another person entered the tent. He was small, about five-feet, with a small afro. His eyes widened when he noticed Charlie, and his movement halted. They stood for a moment, the boy shocked, and Charlie amused. He continued on his way, still looking at her, but no longer confused. He seemed more curious, now. Pendanski moved over to the small boy and placed his hands on the boys shoulders.

"This here is Zero," he said. "Don't pay too much mind to him, now. He ain't got nothing really going on up here," he finished, slightly knocking on the kid's head. 'Zero' pulled away from him, sending him a glare. Pendanski failed to notice this, but Charlie felt relieved to know that she wasn't the only one who seemed to dislike this man.

"The other boys should be finishing their holes soon, and I shall let them do the introducing. Farwell, Miss Charlene," Pendanski said, waving grandly as he exited the tent.

She stood stiff for a bit, waiting for Zero to say something. After a moment of thick silence, she decided she would try.

"So, Zero is it?" she asked. His face stayed blank and the silence grew louder. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and continued. "I don't think your real name is Zero. I think it's something cooler, like Bolton, or something. So, unless you really like the name Zero, you should tell me what you prefer." She was met with an even heavier silence and she felt her self grow agitated.

"Fine," she huffed. "Zero it is. My name is Charlene, but I prefer Charlie," she rambled. She saw a ghost of a smile fall across his lips. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

"So, it's hot here," she continued. He nodded to that.

"Anything else, besides hot?" He shook his head.

"Didn't think so," she said. She didn't know why she was talking so much. It just seemed natural, talking to this 'Zero.' And he was a wonderful listener. She was about to say something else when two boys, both cloaked heavily in dirt, came stomping in. They were arguing about dirt. Go figure.

One was tall, with crazy hair jutting out of his head. His eyes were wide and his hands gesticulated with every word that fell from his tongue. He seemed to be angrily worried. The second boy, a tad shorter, wore a du-rag and had a toothpick hanging from his lips. His demeanor was much calmer, but a bit meaner. He reminded her of someone, and she felt her skin crawl.

He stood with his arms crossed, waiting for the first boy to finish. His face read that he clearly did not care about the first boy's case. Which the first boy failed to notice, because he was still arguing with the quiet boy.

"Shut up, Zig," boy number two finally said. "It ain't like I meant to do it. 'Sides, X'll be here any minute, and he's probably gonna rip both of us a new one."

"But I was almost done with my hole when you went and knocked all of your dirt into mine! That ain't right!" the newly appointed Zig rambled on.

"Like I said: Not. My. Fault. You shouldn't have dug your hole so close to mine." number two said, the beginnings of a glare etching into his features.

"Mr. Sir told me to dig there!" Zig yelled, throwing his hands up. Boy number two merely shrugged.

"What if Mr. Sir had wanted this to happen?" Number two asked, a smirk on his face. "I mean, what if he's trying to keep you out in the sun longer? So your brain'll fry?" Zig's eyes widened even more and his face paled.

"I knew it! I knew he was trying to kill me!"

Zig continued to ramble, but Charlie stopped listening. Instead she was focused on boy number two, who had finally noticed her. His eyes were large and his mouth hung open. She regarded him with a slight nausea.

_His eyes,_ she thought. His_ eyes. James…_

Her stomach churned at the thought of James as every memory of him came rushing back to her. Every memory she had tried so hard to suppress. She suddenly felt heavy and she broke the eye contact between them. Staring, instead, at the floor beside his feet.

"Who the hell are you?" number two asked, finally finding his voice. His eyes slanted into a glare. Charlie raised her eyes again, but kept them on his chin, avoiding his eyes entirely.

"Who the hell are you?" She questioned back. She brought out her poker face, pushing down all uneasiness and pain she had felt earlier. She rose her chin as she spoke. Finding her back bone once again.

"Squid," he said simply. "This is my tent. You lost or something, girl?"

"First of all, my name is not 'girl,' it's Charlie. Second of all, I only wish I was lost. Cause then maybe I could leave. Actually, I am your new tent-mate," she said. Annoyance was starting to creep up her spine. She felt her angry demeanor rise back up and started to feel better.

"But you're a girl," Zig said from the other side of Squid. Her eyebrows shot up. She'd completely forgotten that this kid was in the room with them.

"Yes, I am."

"And-and we're boys!" he said, gesturing wildly at him and Squid.

"Yes, you are," she said. "I'm glad we can distinguish our sexes."

"But then--then, why are you here?" Zig asked.

Before Charlie could answer, three other boys entered. One was black with thick glasses so dirty she wondered how in the world he walked without bumping into things. Charlie could tell he was pissed about something and made a mental note to stay out of his way for the time being. No use getting into something that had nothing to do with her.

The next one was a larger black boy who's stench reached her nose. She cringed inwardly, but showed no sign of acknowledging it. He could probably sit on her, suffocating and crushing her at the same time.

The third one was a small Mexican boy who's smile seemed a bit too excited. He seemed as though he might be a bit of an annoyance problem.

"Goddamit, Squid. Why'd you go and do that?" The boy with the glasses asked. Squid didn't answer him. He was still watching Charlie curiously. She switched her gaze from him to the new boy who's back was to her. She wondered acutely what it was exactly that Squid had done.

The other boy waved his hand in front of Squid's face before grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Squid, answer the fucking question!" the boy yelled.

"Girl," he said, nodding slightly at Charlie.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Squid? You pushed ZigZag into his hole because of a girl? There are no girls here, dumbass," the boy continued.

"There is now," the large black boy said. Both he and the small Mexican boy rubbed their eyes disbelievingly, as though they'd been out in the heat too long. The boy with the glasses turned around and finally noticed Charlie. He stumbled backwards a few step. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could imagine that they were a smidgen bigger than normal.

"G-girl," the boy said, fumbling on his words. "What?"

"I think we've already established that I'm a girl," she said, feeling the urge to roll her eyes. She refrained, though, unsure of their temperaments. She wanted to stay away from bodily harm for as long as she could. She wasn't stupid, though. She knew her mouth would get her in trouble eventually. It always did. But she'd try to prolong it as much as she could.

The boy finally regained his stance of importance and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her. She noted to herself that he must think himself the leader, just by the air around him. He'd be much fun fucking with once she knew how to approach it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Same reason as y'all, I'm guessing," Charlie answered. "Did some bad things while doing some bad people." Squid laughed at that but tried to cover it with a cough when the boy with glasses turned and glared at him.

"You're a funny one, huh," he continued. She just shrugged. She could tell she was pissing him off.

_Wow,_ she thought. _He's too easy._

"Well, fine. I'm X-Ray," he said. Finally, she could put a name to this thing of ultimate power. "That's Armpit and Magnet," he said pointing to the large black boy and the Mexican boy. They still look on incredulously. She just raised her eyebrows at the names, obviously nicknames.

"I'm guessing you already met Squid and ZigZag." She nodded stoically, accompanying it with an look of apathy. She was getting bored with this interrogation. She saw Zero stand and quietly exit the tent. With out any words, she stood up, looked at X-Ray disinterestedly, and followed Zero. She could hear X-Ray yell at her to come back.

Ignoring him, she caught up with Zero and walked beside him silently. He looked at her with raised eyebrows and smirked.

"They always that inarticulate?" she asked. His shoulders raised in a shrug and his eyes were full with confusion. The smirk had vanished from his lips. She mentally kicked herself.

"They always have that much trouble with their words?" she reworded, understanding that he had no idea what 'inarticulate' meant. His smirk returned full force and she heard him laugh. He nodded his head and they continued on in silence.


	4. The King's Shoes

**A/N: Hey! I'm back with another chapter. Sorry it took so long. School has sort of pulled me away from creativeness. But hopefully I can get back into motion with this story. Although, I'm thinking of changing the title, because I don't much like it. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Well, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just bought a copy many years ago. Louis Sachar is the brilliance behind my manipulations.**

* * *

Charlie and Zero had made it half way through the camp before she heard someone running up behind her. Her body tensed and she started to sped up her footsteps. Zero followed suit unquestioningly. She felt a body catch up and start walking the same hurried pace as they were. His breath was heaving slightly from the small jog, and his hands were already moving to wipe at his forehead.

"So X is pissed," Squid said simply. She nodded, slowing down a bit at his voice. But only a bit.

"What do you want?" she questioned, finally looking over at the boy. She felt her stomach clench as he tried to catch her eyes with his. She looked quickly back ahead.

"Damn, girl. No need to be so testy. Just was on my way to the Wreck Room. Better there than in the tent with X, who ain't just pissed at you for completely ignoring him, but is pissed at me for throwin' Zig into his hole," he explained, still somewhat out of breath

"Why'd you throw him in his hole?"

"Didn't do it on purpose. He pushed me for accidentally knockin' my dirt into his half-way finished hole. So I pushed him back, he fell, end of story. Nothing to get excited about."

"Agreed," she said, slowing down a bit more. She heard him chuckle next to her and let out a small laugh to join his. When she didn't look at him, he wasn't that bad. He was even sort of nice.

"So, what's this Wreck Room?" Charlie asked, turning slightly so see could just see his profile. He was wearing a small smirk.

"It's only the best place in this hell."

* * *

Walking into the Wreck Room was like walking into a cheesy bar scene from a 1930's western flick. The kind where the protagonist walks into a bar and everything stops, even the jukebox. Then, after everyone gets a good look and lets their shock vanish, everything goes back into motion, just like it had never been interrupted. 

Except with Charlie and Camp Green Lake, things didn't go back to normal. Things didn't start back up again.

There were some boys who rubbed their eyes, just as Armpit and Magnet. Some just stared, like Squid. There was even one boy who had pinched himself hard on the bend of his elbow, and after he grunted from the obvious pain, he grinned widely.

Charlie felt her heart quicken as she saw one boy lick his lips. These boys didn't look excited, they looked hungry.

And then the yells started.

"Hey baby, you can use my shovel to measure."

"Heya, momma. Come to play?"

"Now there's a hole I'd like to dig."

Squid grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to a corner. Zero followed silently. Charlie didn't realize that she was shaking until she felt a small hand gently touch her shoulder. She looked at Zero who looked back with concern, and she quickly sobered herself. No use looking weak if she wanted to survive. She felt Squid's hand still on her forearm and pulled it out of his grasp. He looked at her questioningly but didn't say anything about the sudden 180 in her demeanor.

"I think the heat's already getting to me," she joked lamely. She smiled just as unconvincingly to Zero, who shrugged and let go of her.

"So, what'd you really do to get sent _here_ of all places?" Squid asked, changing the unspoken topic.

"What'd you do?" she asked with a bite and narrowed eyes. His eyebrows raised and he held his hands out in front of him in an 'okay-calm-down' stance.

"Alright, got it. Sore subject. I guess it is for all of us, huh. Still don't know what Zero here did, neither." Zero slumped against the wall and took to watching the inhabitants, who were still staring unabashedly.

"Not sore. Just none of your business."

"So," Squid continued, trying again to change the subject. "You met Mom yet?"

"Who?"

"Mom. Pen, dance, and key! The 'You're not a bad person! You've just done bad things!' man of no frowns?" She laughed at this. His voice was raised in a false cheeriness that seemed too out of place for this boy in front of her. Although, the impersonation was dead on.

"Mom, huh? What you call him that for?" she asked, still laughing slightly.

"Dunno. That's what they called him when I got here, and who am I to ask questions about how they do things?" he said, voice still a little higher than normal. Aside from his eyes, the crinkles around the corners and the bits of gold specks in the brown of his pupils, she was starting to think this guy wasn't too bad.

Just then, a loud banging of a heavy, angry walk, tore their next words from their mouths. X-Ray and his gang had just come stomping into the wreck room. X still looked peeved, but he was at least a bit subdued. Charlie guessed that the other boys had calmed him down some. His eyes found the three of them standing in the corner and he came marching determinedly towards them.

"Charlie, we need to talk," he ordered gruffly. She raised her eyebrows at him, letting him know that he could continue at any moment. He pointed past him to the open door and moved for her to follow. When she didn't move, eyebrows still raised, hands moved to sit crisscrossed against her chest, his own chest puffed out and his fists started to shake. She knew that she had decided to lay off him, not mess with him until she figured out just how he'd react, but she couldn't help but feel defiance rise up in her body.

Nobody ordered around Charlie Brickman. Nobody. She didn't even listen to cops, and the bastards had loaded weapons.

"Outside," he barked, his voice quivering with anger. Her body hardened and she let her eyebrows drop into a glare. This was just getting ridiculous.

"Make me, asshole." The room seemed to still at that moment. She saw Squid out of the corner of her eye move to flank behind X-Ray. As if he had just remembered his place. _Coward,_ she thought bitterly.

"What did you say?" X-Ray asked through clenched teeth. His body was just as rigid as hers. Although she could guess that he was probably more angry then she.

"Make. Me. Ass. Hole," she said louder, slower. Clearer. She heard someone drop a pool cue somewhere across the room. The boys standing behind X-Ray, the rest of D-tent, were wide-eyed and speechless. She figured that many people didn't stand up to X-Ray, and those that did probably didn't live long enough soon after to regret it. But she didn't care. She was beyond caring for her own well-being, allowing the anger to seep into the core of her bones.

On her left, she saw Zero was standing just as stony as they were, only he was standing beside her. His jaw was clenched and his tiny hands were wrenched in fists. She smirked at the sight of him. Even if she couldn't take on the whole tent, her confidence soared at the prospect of having at least one supporter.

Her eyes traveled back to X-Ray, smirk still in place on her lips, and she could feel the anger radiating off of him. Before she had a chance to blink, he had lunged for her, arms outstretched in an attempt to grab her. The rest of her tent mates seemed to awaken at that moment, their hands grabbing him before he reached her. His body was writhing in their hold and he was sputtering words and phrases that would make a gangster blush.

But what had amazed them all, even Charlie herself, was that she didn't even react. Didn't flinch or move out of the way when he had leaped for her. She was sure that most of the boys, now staring incredulously on, thought that it was because she wasn't scared.

Charlie knew that it was because she didn't have time to react. It had happened so fast that her body was about five minutes behind her brain that was screaming at her to move.

No, Charlie wasn't scared. She was down right terrified.

But she didn't let it show. She held her ground, eyes still burning with spite. Her insides were shaking, but her body was still. Slowly, she started to make a proud and determined exit. Making sure to keep a wide enough distance between her and the struggling tent leader as she moved past the boys.

Aside from a crazed X-Ray, no one made a sound as she walked out of the Wreck Room. There weren't even the unwanted cat-calls or lewd suggestions.

And if she wasn't mistaken, some of the boys looked on with a sense of respect.

* * *

Dinner that evening was tense and silent. Shortly after leaving the wreck room two hours earlier, Charlie had gone back to her tent, laying stiffly on her cot. Zero had followed, almost loyally, and had himself perched on his own mattress, glancing at her every now and then with interest. 

Pendanski had found her and explained a few more things. He had rambled on after handing her some brass tokens, that they were for shower use and that they only counted for four minutes, and once she used it up, that was it. The one thing that she quite distinctly remembered him saying was the rules. Or _rule_ really.

_"There's only one rule here at Camp Green Lake," _he had said in that annoying vibrato. _"Don't upset the Warden."_

During her meal, Charlie had mulled his words over and over again in her mind. If she pissed off every person she ran into here, how long before it was the Warden? She wondered vaugley if she should make a bet with herself, and mused that if she won, she'd risk the desert heat rather than the Warden's wrath.

Zero was the only boy sitting close to her, all the others were scrunched together at the opposite side of their short table. X-Ray had finally calmed himself, but was still shooting scathing glares at her. The rest of the table were behind their leader in spirit, although they seemed more shocked than angry.

Squid had a mixture of emotions on his face. One she could swear she saw flicker was shame. He kept trying to catch her gaze, but she made it a point to look disinterestedly at her 'meal.' She scooped a bit of brown sludge on to her spoon (whether it was the meat or the sides, she didn't know) and forced it down her throat with a hefty swallow. The only barely edible thing on her plate was the bread, and that was stale and old.

She didn't mind, though. She was used to the gruel and unrecognizable foods that these sorts of facilities served. She didn't even remember what a real meal tasted like anymore.

The rest of the mess hall was abuzz with talk. Apparently the events of earlier that afternoon had already swept through the camp. Boys were staring at her now with intrigue. Although, the look of hunger and sexual depravity still lingered on their faces.

Charlie just looked at them all with practiced apathy. Inside she was screaming. She could barely fathom that in only a few short hours, she had already made a mortal enemy.

_Jesus Christ, this must be a new record for you, Charlie,_ her mind was lecturing. _Not even a full day and you've managed to piss off the so-called 'leader' of the palce you're going to be sleeping for the next two years._

She only hoped that he didn't have access to anything sharp.

Finishing her meal, she sat patiently while Zero ate his. He dropped his spoon onto his tray, indicating that he was done, and they both rose from the table. Charlie caught X-Ray's glare one more time before she turned and followed Zero out of the mess hall.

They returned (once again) to the tent and sat down on their respective cots.

"Jesus, you'd think I'd killed someone or something," Charlie said to her loyal ears. He smiled at her and shook his head, curls bouncing as he did so.

"What is his problem anyway?" she asked, not expecting an answer. Zero didn't disappoint as he merely shrugged his tiny shoulders. She rolled her eyes at the absurdity of the situation and relaxed back on to her bed, still able to see Zero sitting cross-legged on his.

"So, is it always this exciting? Or did I just come at a bad time?" He smiled widely and chuckled quietly.

He laid down and she turned her gaze to the ceiling. Her eyes closed and she felt her mind start to drift when the sound of the tent flap rustling alerted her of another person in the tent. She kept her eyes shut, guessing who it was, and pretended to be asleep.

"I know you ain't asleep. I can see your eyes movin' under your eyelids," Squid spoke from the world outside her darkness.

"Well, as my eyes are closed, it pretty obvious I'm _trying_ to sleep, then, isn't it?" She heard him let out a frustrated breath as his foots steps neared her bed.

"Listen, I'm sorry--"

"Who cares, Squid. I don't know you, you don't know me, it's only logical that you run to defend your master. Oh, I mean _leader_," she spat. She didn't know why he was so disturbed by his behavior. And she didn't know why she was so angry about it.

"Jesus, bitchy much?" Her eyes shot open at that, and she fixed a nasty glare on the boy now standing in front of her.

"Yeah, excuse me for being a bit bitchy at the fact that I've been here five hours and already someone wants me dead," she said. His rolled his eyes exaggeratedly at her.

"X don't want you dead. He just wants you to shut up listen to him."

"You mean, _obey_ him, don't you?"

"Hey, it's your neck, alright? I suggest just layin' off him, let him get control back. Things'll cool down in a bit," he said, his eyes finally meeting hers. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt the bottom of her stomach collapse. She began to breath shallowly and felt her heart pound in her chest.

"James, stop. Stop it, please."

"Shh, Lee. It's okay. Just relax."

James smiled down as his eyes bore into hers. She started to cry.

Charlie shot up from the mattress and pushed past a confused Squid. She ran past Zero, who was now moving from his bed as well. She flew out of the tent, knocked into an angry looking X-Ray and emptied her stomach on his shoes. 

_Fuck, _she thought, feeling small hands rubbing up and down her back. _Now I've gone and thrown up on the King. _Her body was shaking violently as she heard the others pull X-Ray inside the tent.

"It's okay," a quiet, unfamiliar voice whispered in her ear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zero kneeling beside her, hand still moving in small circles on her back.

She could hear another person exit the tent and felt stronger, bigger hands move down her back as her body slacked and her mind collasped into darkness.

_TBC..._


	5. First Holes and Arguments

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter! What more can I say? Besides thank all of the wonderful reviewers who had given me a rush of inspiration. I'm glad that you are enjoying my story.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue.**

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Five**

_Her body is shaking, but she can't remember if it's cold or not. She doesn't remember it being cold. But she can't really remember much, right now. All she can remember are eyes that crinkled at the sides, as though they were smiling. Always smiling._

_She feels tears slide down her cheeks and wonders vaguely what she's crying about._

_She hears movement come from somewhere on the other side of the room, but she doesn't look at what, or who, it is. She doesn't want to know, because she's certain that whatever it is, it is the reason she's shaking. The reason she's crying._

_So instead she scrunches her eyes shut. Which was probably a bigger mistake than looking to her left._

_Eyes. Specks of gold. Laughter. Screaming._

_James._

_Hands rubbing her back._

"_It's okay, Lee."_

"_It's okay."_

_Her breathing is ragged and her heart is thrashing about her chest._

_The sound of a zipper rips a terrified scream from somewhere inside her._

Charlie woke with a start. Her head was throbbing and she couldn't remember what she had just been dreaming about. Although, she could take a stab of a guess and would probably be right. It had been years, _years,_ since she thought about that night. And one day with a boy who's eyes just happen to mirror James' and her mind was slowly disintegrating. She wondered idly what time it was, knowing that she needed to be somewhere. Something about 4:30am was sending up alarms in her head, but at the moment, she couldn't quite recall what.

The sounds of nearby snoring pulled her back to her surroundings. She was in a detention camp. No girls, just boys. Angry authority figure with a strange name. Skinny man who should be on Ritalin. Tent leader who wanted her dead.

She can remember talking to Squid, running outside and throwing up on X-Ray's dirt coated shoes. She can remember a soft voice. _Zero._ Bigger hands. But whose? What had happened? How did she get back to her cot?

And where the hell were the rest of her clothes?

She felt strange, realizing that the jump suit she had been wearing was now missing and her socks and shoes were sitting on the floor next to her cot. Her boxers, wife-beater and bra were the only items, thankfully, still adorning her body.

_Who, the hell, touched me?_ she screamed in her head. Whoever it was, she hopped that they had the decency to do it while the lights were off. A shudder moved through her body at the thought.

No matter the lighting, the thought of someone pulling off any article of her clothing made her stomach churn. She pulled the tattered blanket up to her chin and tried to ward off the bit of nausea that swept through her. The smell of dirt wafted up with her movements. She figured everything here must smell of dirt.

_I wonder what Squid smells like,_ she thought. She shook her head at that. _Dirt. He smells of dirt. And why do you care what he smells like?_

Her head really hurt.

After lying awake for what seemed hours, eyes shut, trying desperately to vanquish the migraine slowly forming, she heard the loud blaring of a trumpet. The sound penetrated her skull and her head felt like it was going to implode on itself.

Rustling from the other cots were accompanied by deep groans, and she knew that it was time to get up. She heard someone say something in a langue she couldn't understand. There were thumps from feet hitting the ground as the boys around her started to rouse. She heard someone coming toward her cot and she raised a hand slightly to signal them to stop.

"I'm up," she said moodily. There was a grunt and the footsteps retreated. Squid. She opened her eyes and wasn't surprised to see that it was still dark. Zero was standing in front of his cot, jumpsuit pulled waist high, staring at her. He pointed to the crate sitting in front of her bed and she nodded in comprehension.

Pulling herself from her bed, she opened the top and found that her orange uniform was folded, quite haphazardly, in the nearly empty crate. She grabbed it, along with her fraying back-pack, and threw them on the bed. She opened her bag and found another thin, white t-shirt, and removed her loose-fitting muscle shirt, only faintly aware that the sounds of the tent had stopped. She looked up to see five pairs of wide eyes gaping at her nearly exposed body. Zero was turned away.

She thanked whoever on this earth controlled fate, that it was just dark enough that they couldn't see the blush that crept up her neck.

"Got a problem?" she demanded. She didn't try to cover herself, afraid that if she moved, her whole body would collapse. She saw the faces turn away instantly. She continued to dress, and five minutes later, was following Zero out of the tent toward the middle of camp.

About forty boys were walking to the same spot, all of them wiping their eyes tiredly. Some of the boys weren't too tired to send a lewd remark Charlie's way, though, and she felt her forehead start to burn with pain.

One of the counselors she hadn't met, was standing in front of the Mess Hall handing out tortillas drenched in honey. Charlie took one and shoved it in her mouth. It took all of her weary will-power to swallow it, not quite ready for the potent taste. The honey tasted as though it had been mixed with sanitizer. Another counselor was distributing juice, and she chugged it down gratefully.

Following the rest of her tent-mates, they came to stand in front of a small shed that had the word _Library_ painted across the top plank. Pendanski handed out the shovels to each passing boy who wandered off with their assigned group (tent assignments, Charlie figured) and an random counselor. When Charlie approached the front of the crowd, Pendanski seemed to brighten.

"Well, Ms. Brickman! How are you the fine morning?" Charlie wanted to punch the perkiness out of this man, but settled with a small shrug. Taking her shovel, she followed her group, who were being lead by Mr. Sir. They stopped at a spigot and she noticed for the first time that the others were carrying water bottles of various sizes. When Mr. Sir had filled all of theirs, he filled the one he had in his hand and thrust it at her with a snarl of his lips.

"That's yours, girlie. Come on," he grunted loudly to the rest of them. He spit out some broken, seedless shells and lead them for about fifteen minutes to a spot of dry, crusted desert. He placed each person about ten feet apart and told them to start digging. Coming up to Charlie, who was still trying to keep her head from bursting open, he pointed to a part of land just to her right.

"You're gonna dig there, girlie." She looked at the spot, and then back at Mr. Sir with her eyes in slits. "If you find anythin' interestin' you show it to one a us. If the Warden likes what you found, you get the rest of the day off."

"What are we looking for?" Charlie wondered. See could see Mr. Sir's eyes narrow in the moonlight.

"You ain't lookin' for nothin'. You're diggin' for character. Got it?" he warned, pointing a finger in her face. She nodded tiredly and looked back down at where she was supposed to dig.

"First hole's the hardest," he said gruffly. "Now get to diggin'." And with that, he stalked off. She heard him chuckle to himself as he disappeared into the semi-darkness.

Charlie looked down at the barren earth. Then she looked at her shovel. Then back down to the ground. How the hell was she going to do this? She threw her bottle to the side and analyzed her position.

She figured she'd just try sticking it in. With a great heave, she pelted the shovel head at the ground and was met with a loud _clank_ that reverberated throughout her entire body. The dirt remained intact. She felt her hands already start to ache.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Shortly after the sun rose, Charlie noticed a cloud of dust billowing in the distance. She looked down at her pathetic hole (which she had started digging after about six different approaches at breaking the surface) and let a frustrated sigh. Every inch of her hands seemed to burn, and blood trickled out of a few open blisters. Her back was stinging and her legs felt like they had just run a marathon. 

She notice the other boys had stopped digging and were getting out of their much deeper holes.

Squid eyed her from about three holes away and seemed to be fighting an internal battle.

He hadn't tried to speak to her since last night. And frankly, she was just fine with that.

The dust was getting bigger and she realized that it was following a red pick-up truck. As it parked near their digging site, she saw Mr. Sir get out and move to the back. The other boys had already formed a line (not surprisingly lead by X-Ray) and were waiting, talking animatedly to each other. Except Squid and Zero. Squid was still glancing at her, shoulders slumped, eyebrows furrowed. Zero just stood at the back of the line, content to not interact with any of them.

Charlie walked slowly over to them and stood behind Zero. He turned to her and offered her a tiny small. She returned it with what little effort she had. Her body ached all over. Even her teeth seemed to hurt.

She managed to keep her head high and the yelp of pain back when X-Ray had bumped into her shoulder hard.

"Watch it," he snarled, walking back to his hole. Charlie bit back the comment that rested on her tongue, knowing that if she started something with him, he'd be able to finish her off in a matter of seconds. She could barely move her fingers, let alone through a punch.

Squid, being second in line, had fallen back and stood next to her. He seemed to debate with himself for a moment before speaking.

"How goes the first hole?" he asked.

"Fine," she replied, not really wanting to talk, as it took too much energy. His hand reached out and grabbed hers softly, raising it up to his face. She felt the urge to wrench it from his grasp, but was too sore and tired to do it. He whistled lowly before letting it drop back to her side, whispering a small 'ouch.'

"First hole's the hardest, huh?" she rasped, only realizing that her throat was incredibly dry. She let out a small cough and moved forward in the line.

"Nuh-uh. Second one's the hardest. Think 'bout it. You're already sore when you start," he chuckled lightly. Charlie shot him a weak smile. He smirked back and left her to continue on his hole. Zero glanced back at her with a small grimace before stepping up for his turn at the water truck.

"How those hands of yours, girlie?" Mr. Sir asked when it was her turn.

"Fine, Mr. Sir," she wheezed. Mr. Sir eyed her suspiciously and filled her canteen.

"Don't worry none bout them blisters. They'll turn to callouses soon 'nough and diggin' be twice as easy," he comforted her. Although, coming from Mr. Sir, it sounded crude somehow. Like he was mocking her. Maybe he was, but as he handed her refilled bottle she could swear she saw the edge of his lip twitch upward. This man was an anomaly in himself.

Back at her hole, she took a large drink of water and felt her body barely relax. She picked up her shovel and continued on, ignoring the searing rush of pain that shot through her.

* * *

About midday, she was almost halfway done, depth wise. The other's were deep and most of the them were starting to widen their holes. The back of her neck was burning from the sun and her head was reeling with dizziness. She looked over to where Zero's hole was a couldn't see him, just bits of dirt flying from somewhere below surface level. 

"Man, you think it's hotter today than yesterday?" she heard Armpit ask. "Feels like my skin's meltin' off."

"Naw, man. All the days are the same. Hot as hell," Squid replied. Armpit just groaned and continued on digging.

"Hey, look at Charlie! She's not even waist deep yet!" Magnet laughed from his hole. X-Ray snorted loudly and threw her a nasty look.

"That's cause girls can't dig," he sniggered. She felt her body, as uncomfortable and raw as it was, fill with vehemence. She wouldn't humor them by being hurt, or even angry, with their statements. She just dug harder, faster. She'd show them. She may be behind, but she would finish. And without a single complaint.

"Heya, Charlie! At this rate, you'll be digging 'til dinner!" X-Ray continued on, laughing boisterously at his lame joke.

"How long did your first hole take, X? Heard from some of the other campers that you was almost crying the first day," Squid half-yelled from his hole. His eyes were narrowed at his leader, though Charlie thought she saw some fear etched into his features. She felt a twinge of graciousness at his immediate defense.

"Shut up, Man. Wasn't aware I was talking to you," X-Ray said in a low growl. She reckoned that that tone was meant to scare people, as Squid had shut up instantly, and took to looking interestedly at his shovel. Her insides swelled with anger.

The other guys snickered. Magnet especially loud. Maybe it was the heat, or the searing pain in every inch of her being, but Charlie had snapped.

"Shut the fuck up," she said loud enough for every one of the mocking boys to hear her. She tried to keep what was left of her cool, knowing that she could possibly pass out from exhaustion if pushed too hard.

She felt more blood trickle down her hands as she squeezed the handle of her shovel.

A chorus of 'ooh's' followed shortly after her outburst. Feeling the last bit of self-restraint leave her body, she pulled herself out of her hole and marched over to where Magnet was digging.

"What the hell you 'ooh-ing' about?" she barked, squatting next to the opening his head was sticking out of. His jaw dropped and he was sputtering madly, half English, half Spanish. She only then realized that she was holding her shovel in a menacing manner. Knuckles white from furry, clasping the handle even more tightly than before. The way she held it, it seemed that at an moment, she'd swing full force and knock the terrified boy out. She lowered the shovel to the ground, and took to staring at him with anger.

"So I'm a slow digger. Big-fucking-whoop. But if you don't keep your comments to yourself, so help me God, I will find ways to castrate you in your sleep," she warned, looking at every gaping boy. Zig-Zag look like a giant troll doll, eyes nearly bulging out of his head and hair sticking every which way. Armpit looked as though he was half way between puking and crying. Squid had a smirk, though he did look somewhat put off at the idea. She still couldn't see Zero, who was digging away. And she didn't even chance a look at X, who was probably fuming.

She looked back down at Magnet, who was holding his hands over his privates and shaking.

"Sorry, chica," he said with a slight squeak. "No harm, no foul, right?" She nodded and stood, turning back to her hole. X-Ray had jumped out of his and stormed up to her. She felt a fight coming on, and hoped that he'd just knock her out quickly. She didn't have much energy to last two seconds.

"You. Don't. Threaten. My. Boys. Got it?" he asked, a hostile look in his eyes. His finger was shoved into her chest and he was breathing heavily, due to anger. She stood her ground, only semi-aware that she was having trouble trying to stand. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. Both from fatigue and anger

When she didn't respond, he seemed to start shaking. He pushed his finger harder into her chest, trying to get across everything that he was feeling. He wanted her to cower. He wanted her to know her place. To fear and obey him. She wouldn't even give him the satisfaction of flinching.

Through the corner of her eye, she saw Squid pull himself from his hole and stand, waiting to intervene is need be. Her attention returned full force to the boy in front of her when she heard him speak again.

"Got it, bitch?"

"Dude, chill out," Squid called from behind them.

"Yeah, man. She's just a girl," Magnet piped in. Something flickered across X-Ray's face and his eyes lost every ounce of fight that had been there moments ago. His hand dropped to his side, and Charlie watched in amazement as the leader backed away and quietly returned to his hole.

_What the hell had just happened?_

She turned to Squid, who had a look of warning on his face. Their eyes met and her stomach turned over. But she managed to force herself to look through the memories and see Squid. His eyes were round, begging her to return to her hole.

* * *

The rest of the morning went by in complete silence. Only the sound of metal hitting dirt could be heard around the D-tent site. 

When lunch time rolled around, the occupants of tent D had yet to utter a single word. Pendanski had shown up in the red pick-up with wrapped sandwiches and graham crackers.

Getting in line, Squid was interrupted in his queuing but a stubborn X-Ray, who had pulled him harshly by his arm and pushed him back.

"You're behind Magnet," he said. Squid looked shocked and miffed, but went to stand behind Magnet without argument. Charlie felt her hands clench. She didn't know what the sequence of the line meant, but she had a feeling that the order of Squid's importance had just been shifted.

Pendanski greeted all of the boys with what Charlie guessed were their real names. Although, he too was shocked at what had just transpired.

"Morning, Rex," he said, his smile being a tad forced today.

"It's X-Ray," he grunted. And he grabbed his food and left.

"Theodore, good morning!" he greeted Armpit.

"Man, it's Armpit." He too took his food and left.

"Ricky, fine morning."

"Zig-Zag, Mom. Zig. Zag."

"Jose, you alright? You look a little sick."

"Fine, Mom. And it's Magnet."

"Alan," Mom simply said, a bit of sympathy in his voice.

Squid said nothing. Didn't even correct the misuse of his real name. Just took his food and stomped back to his hole.

Pendanski didn't even greet Zero, just handed him his food with a curt nod.

"Ah, Ms. Brickman. How goes the first day?" Charlie didn't feel like answering, her body even more sore from the hours in the heat, but she knew he'd probably follow her and talk her ear off if she didn't.

"Just fine, Mom." His smile faltered a bit at her use of his christened nick-name. She took her food and went back to her own hole and was surprised to see Zero sitting next to it. He looked up at her and frowned.

"Bit of an overreaction on my part, huh?" she asked, knowing what he was frowning over. He nodded.

"Well, he was being a dick. So I feel justified." He shook his head, lips turning down into a deeper scowl.

"You're in no shape to be picking fights," he said quietly. Her eyebrows raised at his voice. He was speaking to her now?

"So you talk now?" His eyes glanced at her before going back to his half-eaten sandwich. He merely shrugged, but didn't say anything else for the few short minutes they took to finish their lunch.

* * *

Zero was the first to finish his hole. Hoisting himself up, he spat ceremoniously into it and walked over to Charlie, who was just starting to widen hers. She looked up at him and smiled. 

"I'm fine, you can go back to camp. I won't fight with any of the other kids, no matter how many times they try to take my lunch money," she said hoarsely. He rolled his eyes and frowned.

"Promise, Ma," she added jokingly. He sighed and walked off.

One by one, the boys finished their holes, all spitting into them in the same manner as Zero. Soon enough, she was the last one left, edging out the sides of hers. She still had about two feet to go width wise, and her arms felt as though they were about ready to fall off.

_Give me some spots, and I'll swear up and down that I have leprosy,_ she thought to herself.

She heard the sounds of boots hitting the ground and looked up to see Squid standing over her. He didn't say anything as he sat at the edge of her hole and watched her. She started to feel uncomfortable but let the feeling pass as she figured he probably wouldn't move even if she tried to remove his legs with her shovel.

He threw down a hat and motioned for her to put it on.

"Helps with the heat," was all he said. She nodded and pulled it on. The little shade that it conjured was not enough to completely drown out the sun, but it did surprisingly help somewhat. She continued on in silence, glancing up every now and then to see Squid still sitting, eyes wandering the barren land around them.

Finally finishing, what seemed years later, she placed the shovel flat on the ground and felt satisfaction glow inside of her as the ends of it scraped along the sides of her hole. She didn't know why, but this felt like the proudest moment in her life.

Squid reached down a hand and she gratefully took it. He hoisted her up easily, as she was about half the muscle he was. She noticed how calloused his hands were. And how pained and bloody hers were. Embarrassed, she pulled her hand quickly from his as soon as her feet were on ground level.

"Sorry," she mumbled, feeling her cheeks redden.

"'Sokay," he replied, wiping his hands on the knee of his jumpsuit. "All gone."

"Not about that. About X. About you getting in trouble."

"I ain't in trouble. And you didn't do anythin'. Except not learn when to keep your mouth shut," he said. Charlie didn't notice the smirk he wore, only felt indignance rise up her spine.

"Well, you should learn to stay out of other's business. If I needed you to defend me, which I didn't, I would have asked." And with that she stormed off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! That ain't what I meant!" he called after her, jogging to catch up.

"I don't care what you meant, or what you didn't mean. Just stay out of my affairs, okay? Wouldn't want to anger daddy anymore than you have. Maybe next he'll throw you in line behind me."

"Shut up, okay. You don't get what happened, do you?" he asked, grabbing her arm, turning her to face him. She looked on with annoyance. She didn't care what happened. She didn't care what Squid had 'sacrificed' to stand up for her.

"Look, you lost your place in line. Boo-fucking-hoo. Get over it. If you don't want to be on X's bad side, then just leave me alone. I didn't ask for your help, and I certainly don't need it," she fumed. "And get your hand off of me."

He pulled away and glared at her.

"You know, some people are thankful for having friends," he spat, backing up a few steps.

"Well, we aren't friends. I've been here a day, that's barely enough time to learn the ropes, let alone developing friendships. So get whatever fantasy of something that isn't there out of your stupid head." Charlie almost felt guilty at that look of anger and hurt that passed over Squid's face. Almost. After having dug the entire day, burnt and bleeding, she didn't have the strength for feelings.

"Fine," he said. He turned away, only pausing shortly to snatch the cap off of her head, and stalked off in exasperation.

Charlie felt her legs give out and fell to the ground in a whimper. Everything had caught up to her, the hours of digging, the surge of emotions the night before, and she wished like hell she had waited until they had gotten back to camp before she chewed out the boy. Maybe he would have helped her.

Instead, she was left alone in the blazing heat trying desperately to get the feeling back in her battered limbs.

* * *

_TBC..._


	6. Decisions, Venom and Understandings

**A/N: Heya. Sorry this chapter took so long. As updates are probably going to be far in between. (Damn you, school! How you suck the fun from my soul!) But I will try my hardest to keep them coming at least semi-regularly. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, and sorry this chapter is kinda slow. I'm just trying to establish a few things.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Holes. And since I'm not into the slave trade, I don't own Charlie. She owns herself in some strange part of my brain.**

**

* * *

**

X-Ray sat on his mattress, alone in the tent. After digging today, the other boys had done the usual routine of showering and making their way to the Wreck Room. He, however, had decided to brood, away from questioning stares. He had a hard time digesting the fact that not only did this girl _stand up to him,_ but she had won over the comradery of his once-loyal second. He couldn't believe it when Squid had defended her. Against _him_, of all people.

She had been here a day and she had Squid falling over his feet to rescue her. She even had Zero behind her. And Zero had never shown interest in another human being. The gift of breasts was a powerful thing.

Though he knew that shifting the order of the line was probably a bit harsh, he felt it needed to be done. To show everyone that he was still in charge. Because he _was_ still in charge, Goddamit.

No one stepped on X-Ray's feet and got away with it.

He didn't know why she had bothered him so much. Maybe because she was a girl, and interaction with the opposite sex had been non-existent in his life for the past five months. Maybe because the only way he needed to deal with problems since he'd been shipped here was with fists. Or maybe this girl was too snarky for her own good.

Whatever the reason, this girl had made up residence under his skin, and knew how to push him to the brink. Which is exactly what she had done this morning. He didn't know why she was so stoic. As though no amount of pushing and threatening would scare her. He had wanted her to do something. Yell, cry, flinch, _anything_. All she did was stand there. Staring at him. Unfazed and completely unafraid.

X knew that he could take her down in an instant. Knew that with one good punch, he'd have her crying on the ground, _reacting_. And oh, how he had wanted to punch her when she looked at him, completely unaffected by his prodding finger.

But the realization that she was a _girl_ had sprung on him like a load of bricks. He was ready to fight a _girl_. A _girl_ who was weak from digging in the heat and wobbling on her feet. He had felt sick at that moment. The sounds of flesh on flesh rushing back to him. The images of his wrathful father and screaming mother. His father reveling in the fact that he could make her cower. Cry. _React._ And he had felt _sick_.

The sound of someone else entering the tent stirred him from his thoughts. Squid was pacing the floor near his cot, small undertones of muttering falling from his lips as he did so.

If X wasn't so deep in his own disturbing thoughts, he'd have thought the scene amusing.

"Stupid bitch. Stupid, stupid moody bitch…" Squid had continued mumbling, completely oblivious that X-Ray was there. X noticed that he was ringing a hat tightly in his hand, as though he was trying to choke the life it didn't possess, out of it. A few more moments of his garbled pacing passed before X started to feel a bit annoyed.

"Squid!" he yelled, standing from his cot. Squid halted his movements and looked over his tent leader, fear and shock replacing his hectic tirade. Then his eyes narrowed and his face stoned. He looked away.

"What, oh leader of mine?" he asked defiantly. X raised his eyebrows at this. So the boy was still obviously pissed about the line placement. X let that comment pass, too intrigued by his deranged behavior.

"What the hell you doing?" X asked, allowing his right eyebrow to droop will the other stayed propped up in curiosity. He didn't sound angry, just intrigued.

"Nothin', man," Squid answered bitingly. X considered him for a moment, before smirking.

"Don't lie to me." Squid's gaze rested on the wrinkled hat in his hands. He looked back up at X, no longer angry, but determined. His jaw had tightened and his eyes were on fire.

"Well, you were right," he said simply. X watched him in question. Waiting for the boy to finish in his own time.

"She's a bitch," he finished.

X-Ray couldn't help it. He laughed.

After a few moments, Squid joined. Maybe out of relief, or a way to apologize, but together, they laughed. And just like that, they were fine. Boys were simple that way.

Calming himself down, X finally asked Squid what had happened. And he explained (although it was pretty short and was rather stingy in the detail department) and X accepted.

"So, where is she?" X asked.

"Dunno. Shoulda been here by now," Squid responded, a hint of worry in his voice. X noticed it, but didn't say anything. Pride was something untouchable to guys.

Then he felt something move in his stomach. Nerves? Maybe. He recalled that morning, the argument. Her unsteady stance as she stood her ground. Her shaky steps back to her hole.

And then he realized what that movement in his stomach was. Worry. Guilt. Things he would never admit to feeling aloud, but things that his subconscious couldn't ignore.

_She's one of yours, X. She's D-tent, even if she's a stubborn bitch._

"Hey, man. She's fine. Probably off somewhere, fuming about me being a jerk." Squid looked away quickly at that. Something he forgot to tell in his recap of their argument, X guessed, but he didn't press.

"Like I care," X replied nonchalantly even though every muscle in his body was anything but. Damn the conscience. It was a tricky bastard.

"I'm gonna go to the Wreck Room, catch up with the guys. You comin'?" Squid asked quickly, still not looking at his leader.

X shook his head and motioned toward the door.

"Nah, man. I got some things to do." Squid nodded and headed out of the tent unquestioningly. X-Ray sighted loudly, the images racing through his head as scenarios played out. Most of them involving buzzards. Which he felt the edges of his lips twitch at. Hey, she may be one of his, but that didn't mean he had to like her.

He stared around the room for a moment, remembering yesterday. The rattlesnake, the shaken tent mates, his utterly helplessness. And he felt his body start to react before his mind could catch up. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. Grabbing his canteen, he let out a heavy breath and marched determinedly out of the tent.

* * *

Charlie wondered if this was what it felt like to die. Her body hurt. Oh_ God_, did it hurt. Her head was spinning and her skin felt as though it was boiling off from the heat.

She had run out of water about five minutes ago, trying, with difficulty, to ration it until her legs would regain feeling. Swallowing now, though, only made her throat burn. She kept trying to get her limbs to react, but they refused to do so much as twitch.

Her brain was screaming at her to move. To do something to preserve her existence. But as it was proven the night before in the Wreck Room, her body was gravely behind her probing thoughts. She vaguely wondered how long she had before her lungs joined in the mutiny against her brain.

She also questioned how long before anyone noticed she hadn't returned. And who would really care. She hadn't exactly made a respectable impression on her current (and soon to be ex) co-inhabitants.

X-Ray would probably tap dance on her decaying body. Squid would probably get his spot in line back. Zero probably wouldn't speak about it.

Quite suddenly, a shadow appeared above her. She couldn't make out the face, as the sun behind him contrasted so quickly, Charlie's eyes didn't have any time to adjust. And even if they did, the giant sun spot burned into her cornea was big enough to cover the entire person's body.

"You dead yet?" She recognized that voice immediately and she wished that she _was_ already dead.

"Come to dance so soon?" she croaked, her throat scrapping horribly with each syllable.

"What the hell you going on about?" X demanded. Something large hit the surface next to her face, and she wondered idly if he was trying to crush her head with a large rock. Or a shovel. There were many holes to choose from. No one would ever know. Her eyes closed, silently begging him to kill her quickly. She figured that she must have looked utterly pitiful to the boy, cowering. But she had no energy left, and if he was going to kill her, she didn't really want to see it coming. She always liked surprises.

"It's water, stupid," he said, clicking his tongue at her pathetic attempt to ward off danger.

"I knew that," she lied feebly, cracking open one of her eyes. She watched him suspiciously while she continued talking. "How do I know you didn't fill it with rattle snake venom or something? There are plenty of holes. No one would be the wiser, you know."

X's laugh was foreign to her ears. She didn't know whether to be relived or more frightened. She settled on apathetically pained.

"I thought Zig was the only head case we had," he said, squatting over her. "Guess I shoulda figured you was a bit off, too." His chuckle seemed to be genuine. Her brows furrowed and she was trying to figure out just what the hell he was up to.

When he held his hand out to her, his eyebrow quirked up, her head screamed at her to push him and start running. Her mind was racing, trying to comprehend his sudden change in behavior. Wasn't it only a few hours ago that he had wanted to bash her head in?

Too bad her body was miles behind her screaming thoughts.

Her hesitancy, and look of utter bewilderment on her features, brought a long breath out of X-Ray.

"Either take my hand or I'm gonna leave you out here to toast. We'll come back for your burnt remains tomorrow. You're right, y'know. There are plenty of holes to choose from." Charlie extended her hand cautiously. She couldn't decide what to make of this situation, but if he was going to kill her, it would probably be a lot faster than slowly cooking to death.

His hand was rough, from months of digging, as he hoisted her to her feet. She teetered a bit, but his arm coiled around her waist, steadying her. He helped her silently, as she stumbled along the barren desert. If she wasn't so incredibly exhausted, she would have had the right mind to flinch away when his hand tightened every time she wobbled a bit too much.

"Wait. My shovel," she said, using what little strength she had left to stop the inertia created by X-Ray.

"I got it," he said gruffly, holding up said tool to prove it. She hadn't even seen him grab it. He anxiously pulled her into motion again, handing her his half-emptied canteen.

"Drink it. It'll make you feel better."

She did as she was told, still too shocked and tired to do anything else. They continued on in silence, Charlie greedily chugging the water, and X-Ray staring pointedly ahead, hand never leaving her body.

When they were nearing camp, Charlie placed her small hand on his chest, signaling him to stop. He did, but not before shooting her a look of annoyance.

"We gotta get you in some shade. Get you a shower, too. You're bright fuckin' red." His body was stiff, and his mouth was turned in a frown. Charlie stood on her own, a bit weakly, pushing his arm off of her gently. She looked at him, not really realizing she was staring. She didn't know what he was up to yet, still a bit unnerved by his sudden kindness.

"What?" he asked with a sharpness. He seemed to be agitated by something, too. But for the first time since he walked into tent D yesterday, she had a feeling that it wasn't exactly her.

"Why'd you come back for me?" she asked quietly, still watching him.

He didn't answer. Just stared intently at the camp site in front of them. He seemed to be lost in thought. She really didn't think that X-Ray could be this…pensive. She had only thought of him as an arrogant asshole who wanted everyone to do his bidding.

"X?" she prodded.

He snapped out of his reverie, and shrugged roughly.

"You're in my tent, ain'tcha?" he replied nonchalantly. She nodded at that, face blank and mind racing. She didn't know exactly how to take to this. He really took his leadership seriously. She felt slight respect start to build itself around her image of X-Ray. He moved to snake his arm back around her waist again, but she stopped him.

"I can do it," she said determinedly. She had felt a new strength burst through her. X nodded briskly, but didn't extend the distance between them. Just in case.

They continued on for a bit more, both quiet in their thoughts, before X broke the silence.

"You know, just because I saved your life, don't mean I like you." His face was still set in a frown. She felt herself smirk slightly.

"Don't worry. Just because you didn't chop me into a million tiny pieces doesn't mean I'm going to succumb to your every arrogant whim."

His snort was enough to turn her smirk into a full fledged smile.


	7. Against The World

**A/N: Well, here goes another chapter. Hip-hop hooray. And a big thanks to my reviewrs. You make writing worth it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. You don't sue. Tis all.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

After that day, X-Ray and Charlie had formed an unspoken truce. Neither wanting to fight anymore, but not wanting to give in. So they stayed out of each other's ways, not saying a word in the other's direction. The boys didn't question it, nor what led to the sudden cease-fire. They just took it as it was and ran with it. Life was much easier when they didn't have to stand on guard of two, very irritable, people.

Squid was another story. Although they didn't talk about the fight, or why Charlie had been condemned to bed rest for the remainder of that afternoon, they didn't stay mad. He had apologized by tossing her the hat and smiling at her. She apologized by smiling back and putting it on her head.

She hadn't really grown close with any of them, mostly keeping to herself and a mute Zero. But they didn't hate her, at least. And she didn't have to fear for her life. Which was an improvement from the last few peers she'd been bunked up with.

They'd started to slowly regard her as one of their own. Staring down the vulgar boys and actually talking to her. Dinner was much easier, since she didn't have to focus on not focusing on them. They'd talked, joked. Even X-Ray seemed lighter. Although never saying anything directly to her.

Digging was still hard, but at least the blisters were staring to form into calluses and with the simple shade of the hat, she was doing much better with it. At least she hadn't collapsed again.

So now, a week after her she first arrived at Camp Green Lake, they were relaxing in the tent, listening to Zig ramble about how he got sent here. A story she's heard at least four times.

"So I says, guess what I say?" Zig rambled. There were muttered 'what's' from various edges of the tent, all knowing what was coming, but none annoyed enough to tell him to shove it. They liked his story, as exaggerated as she believed it to be.

"I says to the officer, 'Fuck off, man!' And he looks at me like I just choked his puppy or something!" A muffled gasped broke Zig from his story, causing the crazed-haired boy's eyes to widen in an apology.

"Sorry, Mag. Like I just ran over his kid with a car." No one made a protest to that simile, which made Charlie laugh. Boys were definitely strange.

"So, anyway. He tells me to shut up, and asks what I'm doing at the school that late. And instead of answering him, know what I say?" Grumbles. "I says, 'Whatchu still doin' here, sir? Didn't I tell you to fuck off?" Approving laughs. Charlie's own mirth. It may have been the fourth time she's heard this story in the past week, but she still couldn't hide the amusement it caused in her. And apparently, either could any of the other boys. Even X laughed loudly at his punch line.

"Man, Zig. You got style," Armpit said from his cot.

"Yeah. Sure do. Though, I wanna hear what happens next. It's my favorite part," Squid added, sounding like a child playing with his newest toy. His eyes found Charlie's and they both broke out into devilish grins. She had to admit that the cops reaction to Zig's statement was the best part. If not for him, for the rest of them. They did enjoy the violence of it all.

"That's when he took out his night stick…" Zig continued.

Charlie turned back to the notebook that lay open in her lap, letting the voices fade off into the background. She'd conned it out of Mom on her third day, saying that she needed something personal. Delving into the depths of her feminine wiles, she'd batted her eyelashes, allowing a look of innocence to cross her features. Men were as easy as butter to manipulate. You just had to have a hot enough knife.

And lucky for Ms. Brickman, his butter was soft enough that the knife only needed to be luke-warm.

Although, he had one condition. She had to turn in her pencil every night. With the events that unfolded in St. Mary's Home For Wayward Children, she didn't really blame him. He was smarter than he let on, sometimes.

Her pencil moved smoothly over the lined paper, the recounts of her latest dreams being documented by the graphite with an practiced ease. She didn't like reliving the dreams, but it helped her breathe better to get them down on paper. That way she could tear it to shreds. It was a therapeutic thing.

_There's a man. His eyes are dancing with something that I don't quite understand. A faceless danger that registers slightly, but my body is unresponsive._

_A zipper. A scream. James and blood. How did I let it get this far? How did I not see it coming?_

_Words can be sweet, misleading. And I was foolish enough to swallow them all. The saccharine syllables, like candies, that leave a brackish aftertaste of copper on my tongue._

_  
Or maybe it's just my teeth biting down on the letters that I can't let out._

_James. Where are you?_

The feeling of the mattress lowering alerted her to another presence. She looked up to see Zero sitting close by, eyes tracing across the words her shaking hands wrote. She yanked the notebook up to her chest and glared at the smaller boy.

"Do you mind there, kid?" she asked, her voice dripping with infuriation. His eyes widened slightly before he shrugged and moved off the cot. Her arm shot out to stop him, her grip a bit tighter than necessary. His eyes darted to hers and were pleading with her to understand something she couldn't quite grasp. Her annoyance kicked up.

"What exactly did you read?" she inquired, her eyes flaring. He shook his head. _Nothing,_ he was trying to say. She looked on suspiciously, but decided to let it go. Her eyes traced his, looking for the truth, and slowly she realized that he had no idea what she was writing.

"You can't read, can you?" she asked barely above a whisper, her expression softening. He shook his head, and she tried to keep the pity off of her face. Moving over, she patted the now empty space next to her. He hesitantly sat down and took to listening to the rest of the story Zig was animatedly telling.

"So he swings, right, and I jump out of the way, only to bump into one 'a his buddies I ain't noticed was there…"

They sat there like that, Charlie scribbling away and Zero watching the other boys disinterestedly, until Pendanski had come traipsing into the tent.

"You know what night it is, boys? And girl," he added, smiling over at Charlie, who's eyes were still glued to her moving hand.

An answer of groans let Charlie know that it probably wasn't a good thing he was referring to.

"That's right! Group night! Come on! Let's go! Ms. Brickman. Pencil, please," he said, holding out his hand expectantly. She still hadn't moved from her cot, from her Indian-style position, still ignoring the uppity counselor.

"Ms. Brickman! Up with you!" Her head snapped up in a fiery annoyance and she reluctantly stood, placing her notebook under her pillow. She marched up to him and placed the pencil non-too-gently in his anxious palm. His expression flickered to a small grimace before turning back into his full fledged smile. She followed the rest of the loudly protesting boys out of their tent, Zero quietly by her side.

* * *

"I would have gotten away with it, if my pocket hadn't started barkin'," Magnet had said, causing the others to laugh. Pendanski grinned as well, trying to look on disapprovingly. 

"Now, now, Jose. You would have gotten away if you hadn't done anything wrong. You needed to be punished. It's the only way we learn. From our mistakes. Now, after all of the time you've spent here, what would you do differently?" Pendanski asked, hiding his mirth behind a pointed look.

Magnet placed his forefinger and thumb against his chin and tried to look deep in thought. His mouth was set in a straight line and his eyebrows were burrowed.

"I'd put doggie biscuits in my pocket. Then, maybe, the dog'd be so distracted, he wouldn't think to bark." This brought uproarious laughter from the surrounding teenagers. Charlie even felt herself chuckle. Especially at the look of horror on Pendanski's face.

_Ha. He actually thought he was making progress. Silly man,_ Charlie thought. For as smart a man as he pretended to be (and was at times), he was awfully disillusioned when it came to delinquents. The only thing most of them would do differently if given the chance, would be to not get caught.

"Enough," Pendanski demanded. His face in an uncharacteristic scowl. The room quieted slowly, all allowing there jollies to be rattled satisfactorily. His face stretched up into a forced smile as he looked around, deciding on his next target of interrogation. His eyes landed on Charlie and his smile became real. She felt her blood run cold.

"Ms. Brickman. Why are you here?" Charlie's entire body stiffened at the question. The room, if at all possible, was even more quiet. Every eye turned towards her, curiosity obvious in every glance. They all wanted to know.

"You know why I'm here, _Mom_," she said, the nickname coming out with disgust.

He just smirked. She didn't understand why he was calling her out. He'd been so adamant about being overly nice to her since she got here, and now it seemed he was taking pleasure in her discomfort.

"But the boys don't know. I'm sure they're all curious." His smirk slid into a smile that seemed a little too happy for her liking. She pulled Squid's cap lower over her eyes and slouched back into her chair. She didn't say a word.

"Now, Ms. Brickman. It's not good to keep secrets. Don't you want to make friends?" His voice was heavily saturated with a tone that made Charlie want to vomit. Who the hell was this man, and where did the over-enthusiastic Pendanski go?

"No," she gruffly replied. The other boys were watching the interaction with peaked interest. She kept her eyes trained at the brim of the hat, avoiding everyone else's inquisitive stares.

"Charlene, either you tell them, or I will. And I won't leave out any details." Her heart was beating sporadically against her chest. Her fists clenched and her jaw locked.

She wouldn't say a damn thing. And no amount of threats, however solidified, would break her. She was stronger than that. After a few more moments of tense silence, Pendanski chuckled.

"Embarrassed, are we, Ms. Brickman?" Her eyes darted from her hat to his eyes, which were burning with sadistic amusement.

"No. Just isn't anybody's business but my own."

"Well, how do you expect to learn from your past if you cannot even confront it, my dear girl?" Her face set in a glare and her anger sent chills down her back. This man has some fucking nerve.

"I don't. And I won't. So fuck off," she spat. She heard a stifled laugh come from Zig-Zag, who was sitting next to her, and shot him a look that shouted, 'shut the fuck up, right the fuck now.'

He quieted instantly.

Every person in the room stilled on instinct. There was some shit that was about to go down, and even though they weren't tight with Charlie, not even what you would call friends, they would back her up. That's the way they rolled in D-tent.

Her gaze landed back on Pendanski, who was utterly aghast at her language and blatant refusal. His head snapped up in indignation. His smile was still plastered on his face, but his eyes looked dangerous. Charlie refused to back down. She held his gaze until he finally broke away.

"Get up. I'm taking you to the Warden," he said, standing and turning his back to them. "The rest of you, back to your tent."

Nobody moved.

Confusion was evident, but they knew that Pendanski had crossed a line. And being the rebellious teens they were, the refused to let the authoritative figure get away with disrespecting one of their own. Charlie glanced around at the boys surrounding her.

X's face was hard, the outline of his jaw moving slightly, indicating that he was grinding his teeth in anger.

Squid looked absolutely outraged. His eyes narrow slits and his body erect.

Zero looked passive, but she knew better. He was the worst of them all. She could see it in the tight balls his fists were in. She felt relieved, in a way, to know that even if they weren't the best of friends, in this place, it was them against the world. Even if that world only consisted of a few counselors and an absent Warden.

She had never felt that before, relief in people. Confidence in them. Anxiousness fell over her, and she stood. They glanced at her questioningly, but didn't say a word.

Pendanski didn't even turn around while he spoke his next few words, very low and very even. Nothing like the perkiness that usually inhabited his throat.

"Either go back to your tent, or it will be double holes for everyone."

Charlie looked at X, who's eyes were trained on her in an unfamiliar loyalty. She nodded almost unnoticeably, but he caught it. He gave a stiff nod back and stood.

"Come on, guys," he ordered. Only then, on the words of their leader, did they move. One by one, they filed out and disappeared into the dark. Zero casting one more scathing glower at the man still turned away from them, tiny fingers still knotted up in fists, before following the others.

"One of these days, Ms. Brickman, I'm going to make sure you learn to reap what you sow."

Uneasiness crept it's way through her body. And Charlie knew. She _knew_. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.


	8. Common Ground

**A/N: Wow. Another chapter. And so soon. I am acutally really proud of this part. Took a lot of focus for me. But here it goes. **

**Disclaimer: Still don't own. Also, borrowed a line from Newsies, too. So Disney, don't sue me twice.**

* * *

X-Ray was trying to figure out just what Charlie had been so damned nervous about in that room. She had looked almost terrified at the prospect of answering the question as to why she was here. He knew that she was hiding something. Not bad, really. Probably something painful. 

But what could be so terrible that she had completely closed up?

He noticed everything about Charlie now. Ever since that day he'd helped her back to camp. He took to watching her movements, her interaction with the other boys. She was stiff in her false fluidity of movements.

She always had this look in her eye whenever one of the boys would sling their arms around her shoulders, before shrugging them off and distancing herself, but never really closing herself to them. She laughed more frequently, now. Even telling some jokes of her own. But never really talked. If that made any sense to anybody but X-Ray.

So when Mom had asked her the question, he noticed her eyes cloud. Her body stiffen in defense. He noticed the set jaw, the curled fingers. The way she pulled the hat down so she didn't have to look anyone in the eye.

Her defiance as he had threatened to rat it out for her.

X was pissed at Mom. Noticing, for maybe the first time, just how cruelly sadistic the man was. But more than anything, he was down right curious.

Now all he had to do was figure out a way to press the subject without seeming nosy.

How, in the hell, was he supposed get the girl to spill her guts when she didn't even talk to him?

Well. He was just going to have to make her trust him. And he knew just the way.

_

* * *

_Pendanski's hand was glued to Charlie's shoulder as they made their way through the grounds, stopping abruptly when they reached the cabin at the edge of camp. He finally released his grip, fixing her with one more leveled glare, before he knocked on the door. A faint grunt signaled the man's entrance and Charlie was left alone on the porch. 

Everything in her body was telling her to be terrified. This Warder character sounded dangerous enough, and the one rule she was supposed to follow echoed through her head. But anger outweighed any sense of self-preservation.

She couldn't believe this man. What a complete, power-hungry ass. His sudden turn-around in character pissed her off the most. He played the _nice_ card so exaggeratedly, she should have seen this coming. But he pulled off the sentimental buffoon well, and this thoroughly blind-sided her.

She heard soft mumblings coming from the cabin in front of her. A booming voice tore from the inside of the cabin and Charlie instinctively took a step back.

There was a loud crash, a shrill howl and Pendanski had come bolting out, running past a confused Charlie. She looked over her shoulder to see him limping back across the camp.

A clearing of a throat brought her attention back to the front door.

A red-headed woman wrapped in a robe was standing in the doorway, staring at her.

"Charlie, I'd suggest you head back on to your tent. You've got diggin' to do in the mornin'." And with that, she slammed the door shut.

Charlie didn't think twice as she backed off the porch and made her way back to the tent, trying to muddle through her rushing thoughts.

The Warden's a woman? What the _hell_? God, she hoped that Pendanski had been permanently maimed. She was only sad that she couldn't bare witness to the whole account.

_God, what will the boys think? What will they want to know? They want me to tell them why I'm here. I know they do. They don't even try to hide the curiosity in their eyes._

Her mind was reeling as she entered the tent to six curious sets of eyes.

"That was awesome. Mom sure is an ass." Armpit.

"What she'd do to you? Did it hurt?" Zig.

"Man, chica. Way to rattle Mom." Magnet.

"You okay? What happened?" Squid.

Four boys trying to speak at once. A silent Zero and a pensive X-Ray. Charlie didn't really feel like dealing with this, so with a curt, 'nothing happened,' she went straight back out of the tent. And was thankful when no one followed her.

* * *

After Charlie had come into the tent, looking a bit disheveled, and then bolted right back out, Squid and Zero both moved to follow her. X-Ray stood, as well. 

"Sit back down," he'd ordered. Squid looked on questioningly, but had sat back down. Zero was more determined, though, never really answering to the leader. So X had grabbed him by the elbow and pointed to his cot.

"I'm going. So stay put." Zero's eyes were burning with anger, but he relented.

"Y'all should go to bed. We gotta dig in the mornin'." X was met with chorus of grumbles, but he ignored them. Walking out of the tent, he just hoped she didn't run off too far. Luck was on his side, though. She was sitting on the ground near the edge of the tent..

* * *

Charlie felt, rather than heard, someone sit next to her. She was really hoping she could be alone for a bit, but she guessed that boys just didn't comprehend the concept of 'me time.' Annoyed, she looked up to see X-Ray sitting next to her. She was surprised, to say the least. Of all the people she'd expected to follow her out, X-Ray was the last she'd guess. But she didn't question it. Knowing, deep down, that X was probably the least likely to try and make her feel better. 

Which she didn't really want right now. Sometimes, you needed to soak in the self-pity and let it drown you.

They sat in the quiet dark for a lifetime before he started to speak.

"My dad used to beat on my mom." She didn't say anything, just looked up at the sky with him. She didn't really know what to say, and figured he probably didn't want a response. So she just let him continue.

"I used to think it was my fault, like every stupid kid in those situations. I would cry, too. Just alone in my room, to the sounds of their fightin'. Maybe it was something I did, I would think. Maybe I didn't help out enough, and he took it out on her. Maybe I didn't do good enough in school, and he blamed her for it. I don't fuckin' know. You think stupid like that when you're a kid. Think everythin' fuckin' revolves around you. 'Cause, really, you don't know no better."

X took off his glasses and closed his eyes tightly, leaning his head back against the tent's wall. Charlie stayed silent.

"When I was twelve, he'd come home absolutely pissed about something. I don't remember what, and I don't think it would matter if I knew then or fuckin' remembered now. What's important is that he came home. She wasn't there, and I was. I think you can fill in the rest, no?"

She nodded slightly, completely at a loss of what else to do. She heard him sigh heavily before speaking again.

"That's when I started stealing. First, it was little things, like candy and gum. Unimportant shit that no one really ever misses. Then it became magazines, sodas, food. And when I was fourteen, I did my first B&E. It was a neighbor's house, and I was stupid enough to do it while they were home. They woke up, saw me, and called the cops. First offense and all, I only got six months in the joint."

He said this like he was thirty and was doing hard time. Which, for a kid as tainted as they were, was true. It might not be a penitentiary, but it was still time served to the state. Charlie understood completely.

"I joined a gang when I was released. Shot my first gun at fifteen. Beat someone up for the first time that same week. I was a badass. I was untouchable. I was a king.

"But that shit never lasts, does it? I put a guy in the hospital seven months ago. Beat him so no one could recognize the guy. And all he did? He _looked_ at me the wrong way. And now I'm stuck here 'til my eighteenth birthday thinking about how that kid's never gonna walk right again."

Charlie knew what he was doing. He was letting her know that he understood, too. That they did some bad shit, got into some bad things, and were now living here, with regret gnawing at their bones.

"Look, Charlie. I don't expect you to tell me everything. Shit, I don't expect you to tell me _anything_. All I'm saying is that most of us come from places we want to forget."

And in that instant, the raw honesty he shared with her, she knew that he was someone she could trust. A man in a boy's body who knew exactly where she came from, lived the shit life and survived, if only to fight to survive here.

Who knew that the first person she'd so willingly trust would be the one person who could barely stand to be in the same room as her. But she had been realizing over the past week that X-Ray had many layers behind his pompous, 'holier-than-thou' leader façade he'd carry. He was an enigma wrapped in an arrogant smirk.

The words caught in her throat, but she was trying with everything in her to spit them up. And he let her take her time.

"I've lived with my cousin who sold drugs and pimped out whores since I was twelve. The clichéd picture of the 'royally fucked up girl.' That was me. The Sunday special they'd play in health class. I didn't do drugs, if that's what you're thinking. I just helped out with some shit. More of a messenger, really. Toting all the goods from place to place. Never really touching the stuff, as my cousin had told me that the only successful dealers were the ones who didn't play with their toys.

"Ironic, really, seeing as he slept with most of the girls he sold. Anyway, when I turned fourteen, my cousin celebrated my birthday by offering me a full-time job. That's what they picked me up for last year. Prostitution. I whored myself out so I could eat a few lousy meals a day. I had to spend time in a clinic, thinking there was something completely unstable about me."

She kept her face staring up at the sky, ashamed, but completely honest. She didn't want to see the look of pity or disgust that most people would have in their eyes. She didn't want to see the leader of her momentary home look at her with anything but the fiery indifference she'd grown accustomed to. She continued on, hoping that she was right in trusting him.

"Then they decided I was just a kid on the wrong path and started sending me to juvenile facilities. First one I went to, I got kicked out of for kneeing an officer in the groin. They didn't believe me when I told them he had grabbed my ass. Lying, little hooker, he'd said. And that was enough for them.

"The second place was shittier than the first. No sun, just a cold cell day in and day out. I lasted three days before I attacked the first guard who came in to check on me. I don't do well in small places. Third place, I started a riot demanding to eat the food they stole from us. Fourth place, threatened the Warden. Fifth place, broke too many rules. Sixth place, guess they just didn't like me and my loud mouth. Seventh place, stabbed a bitch through the hand with a pencil."

He laughed quite loudly at that, but made no other attempt at a reply. She was somehow grateful for that.

"Anyway, they decided that I was more of a danger to the general delinquent public and sent me as far as they thought they could. And hence my arrival here. A crazed girl who is more frightened, than anything, of life."

She finished and again they sat in stony silence. She chanced a look at X-Ray, who was looking straight back. His face was unreadable, and she quickly looked away.

"I know, stupid, little whore. It's what everyone thinks, so it's okay. You can go back inside, pretend we never had this heart-to-heart and I'll continue on in the shadows, just biding my time until I can leave this place."

She moved to stand when he placed his hand gently on her forearm, halting further movement.

"That ain't what I was thinkin', and you know it. I ain't here to judge you. The past is what it is, and there ain't no changin' it. Like I said. We're all trying to forget where we came from." His words were kind, understanding. Her eyes were glued to his hand, which still laid on her arm. She felt burning from the touch, but not in the romantic way. Maybe it was because most of the touches she'd encountered were johns that left bruises. Or _that man_, which left worse things than bruises or scars.

The only people that had really touched her so completely innocent and gentle were Zero and James. With every ounce of feeling that ran through his fingers, she knew that X was letting her know that it was okay. That he _understood_. And she believed it.

She relaxed back in her sitting position, and the two of them continued to stare up at the sky, X's hand still grasping her arm, and her unwilling to move it.

For the first time since she could remember, she felt completely confidant in her vulnerability. And ironically enough, it was with the boy who had wanted to throttle the life out of her just days before.

Life really was strange.

"So, who's James? Is he your cousin?" X asked casually. Charlie's eyes snapped back to him, every bit of comfort the moment held, ripped away with the question. Her eyes were large in the moonlight. X's face stayed unemotional.

"You talk a lot in your sleep, y'know." Was all he said.

"You listen a lot in your sleep," she shot back. He shrugged, letting his hand finally drop from her. They were quiet for a moment longer, before she answered his question.

"He was my brother."

'Was' said everything he needed to know to not push the subject. And Charlie was grateful. Instead, he stood up, brushed himself off, and extended his hand to her.

"Come on. We'd better get some sleep. I don't want to have to carry you back to camp again."

She gasped exaggeratedly, placing her hand in his.

"You, Mr. Ray, did not _have _to carry me. I _allowed_ you to."

"Whatever you say, Stone."

He pulled her up with little effort, and she gave him an inquisitive look, delaying their retreat to their beds.

"Stone?"

He smirked at her.

"Yes, princess. Stone. Got a problem with it?" he asked, eyebrows quirked up in amusement.

"Well, I guess it's better than Armpit."

* * *

**Please review and let me know what you think. Am I wasting my time with this story? Is she getting too Mary Sue? Love it? Hate it? Don't really care, but would like to feed a desperate girl's need for feedback?**


	9. Terms of Endearments and Empty Tents

**A/N: Here I am again! This chapter goes from serious to fun to seirous again. It's a lot to take, I'm sure, but I didn't really feel like splitting it into two. So, yeah.**

**I wanna thank all of my reviewers. Really thank you. **

**K. L. Verne, don't worry. I definitely get what you're saying. I often hate the female characters, as well. This is a new thing for me, writing in a girl's POV. I'm much better at the guy's. Which is silly, 'cause I'm a girl! Anyway, thank you for your assertation (albeit, a bit rambly and tangent-y) but none-the-less incredibly helpful. I'm trying to keep her away from the tendencies of Mary-Suedom, with everyone liking her, her unbelievable strength, unnaturally good-looks (which I haven't described for a reason) and so on... Hope I'm still doing a good job of that, and I really hope that you keep reading and giving me your feedback. And...very rambly on my part as well, no?**

**mrcrockz06 - thank you very much for being a loyal reviewer. You definitely kept me inspired, just by letting me know that you were enjoying my story.**

**And ebonyrose - 32 times, and it's still ingrained.**

**Also, thank you to Lacrosse Goalie 07, bubblymuggle4, Mercury's Serenity, blondybrunette01, Blondie 24-7, Ur Rad., xxmickeyxx, Sarimia, Sal, and Trix are for kids. I hope I got everyone.**

**Whew what a long winded author's note.**

**Anywho, on with the story. (DISCLAIMER: Which I still do not own.)**

**

* * *

**

"_James! Where are you? This isn't funny." Her voice is a panicked whisper. She is starting to get nervous. The dark doesn't help, much, either._

_She moves about the room, trying to squint through the black to see where he is. The quiet is too much for her. Her hands are shaking._

"_James, stop. Stop it, please." A faint groan. She feels a sob choke up her throat._

"_Shh, Lee. It's okay. Just relax," his voice comes from somewhere in front of her. She feels around blindly and comes in contact with the soft fabric of his shirt. A cloud shifts from over the moon, and suddenly the room is cast in dim light. Her lungs contract, and air fails her._

_He smiles at her, blood caked around his mouth. His eyes bore into the depth of hers, and the room feels like it's starting to spin. He smiles at her. Broken, bloody and in pain, and her brother _smiles_ at her._

"_James…" The sobs come finally. She is on her knees, hands gripping his shirt, head smashed against his chest. His arms encircle her tiny waist as her body trembles in misery._

_He starts to laugh. A low guttural sound that quickly turns into a moan._

"_What's funny?" she demands, raising her head from his chest to look him in the eye, hers narrowed in disbelief._

"_No-nothing," he pushes out. "It's just…I'm the one bleeding, and you're the one being comforted. Just funny." His voice is low. Forced. Haggard breathing hindering the words._

"_Shut up. I'm a girl. I'm supposed to cry." He laughs again, but this time it turns into a coughing fit. Blood squirts up from his lips._

"_Ha," he croaks. "Guess that's what I get for laughing." Her eye burn with anger now._

_Another sob tears from her throat. His hands find her back and start to move in small circles._

"_Shh, Lee. It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay."_

_The sound of the door hinges squeaking pulls her from her lamenting, and she knows instantly that James is wrong. With what little strength her brother has left in him, he pushes her up. His eyes are wild, terror-stricken, and glued to her. She goes to help him up, but his hand clasps over her wrist, stopping her._

"_Run, Lee."_

_She can't._

* * *

Charlie was up before the rest of the boys the next morning. She had been awake for hours, after having a quite vivid dream sometime earlier that night.

_No. Not a dream._ Dreams were false, made up stories from delirious, sleep-induced minds. Dreams were happy, hopeful. Dreams were supposed to be beautiful.

That was definitely not a dream.

It was a relived reality.

She didn't even try to go back to sleep, scared of what lay behind her eyelids, half-way between the conscious world and her black memories.

So she pulled her knees to her chest, rested her chin on her bent knees, and took to staring. The sounds of snores, passing gas, and grunts lulling her into a thoughtless state.

Sometime later, the familiar blare of a trumpet sounded, announcing the beginning of another long day.

* * *

The sun had just risen over the mountains and Charlie was along considerably in her digging. Granted, her hole was still lacking when compared to the others', but for her, it was quite the improvement. She pulled Squid's hat lower over her eyes, trying in vain to block out the sun.

Her body was already tired, and she had to strain herself, just to keep her eyes open. Her too-big gloves rubbed irritably against her calloused hands. Sweat dripped down her forehead, running into her squinting eyes.

She hissed at the burning sensation that shot through her head. The salty substance causing unwanted tears to rush her eyes.

"God hates me," she muttered, grabbing her canteen. She poured a small portion into her palm, and rushed the water to her face, splashing it into her eyes. They stilled burned, but at least it wasn't quite as intense.

"God hates all 'a us, sweetheart," a voice came from her left. She looked up through her blurred vision at a smirking X-Ray. _Sweetheart?_ No. Way.

"Just because we made nice yesterday, does not mean you can get away with calling me 'sweetheart' today," she said. His just laughed softly. Her eyes burned more.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." He laughed, adding extra emphasis on the term-of-endearment, and continued on with his digging.

Indignation rose up in her. Who did he think he was? Stupid ass. She'd show him.

* * *

X was pleased with himself. He was even tempted to start whistling as he dug. She had looked annoyed, but not pissed. That was an improvement on their former encounters, yet wasn't drenched with the intensity of last night.

He didn't really quite grasp everything she had told him. He understood it, well enough. Knew that life had really flipped her the big middle finger, and then left her to wither away. But he just couldn't entirely fathom _why_. And what happened to James? It was obvious he was dead, just the way she said it. So simply, so factual. Like they had been discussing the weather.

If it wasn't for her body tensing, her arm muscles tightening under his fingers, he would have thought her comment cold and unfeeling. But he knew better than to take her tone of voice over her silent mannerisms.

She was a mystery to him, and he wasn't quite sure how to solve her. He didn't even know if he _could_ solve her. If anyone could.

X's contemplation of the complex enigma that is Stone came to an abrupt halt, when a cloud of dust rained over him. He looked up from his hole, glasses even dirtier than moments before, to see a smirking Stone standing victoriously by her pile of un-dug desert.

His eyes were wide with shock. He pulled himself out of his hole and stood for a moment, glare focused on a frozen Stone. If he wasn't mistaken, and X-Ray was _never_ mistaken, he could have swore he saw fear flicker across her face. But quickly enough, her features relaxed into the apathy he was used to seeing.

He brushed himself off exaggeratedly, never breaking eye contact as he strode over to her.

"Whatchu think you doin' there, _sweetheart_?" he asked, voice a low growl. He wasn't angry, per se. Just a bit agitated at her audacity to shower him in dirt. Not like he wasn't covered enough, as it was. And even, deniably so on his part, slightly amused. Her face broke into a smirk, eyes dancing with mischief.

"Whatever do you mean, _pooh bear_?" came her scathing reply.

And then his agitation grew into complete displeasure. This girl really was something else. He grabbed the hilt of her shovel, stopping it in mid-swoop as she tried to get another clump, and scowled at her.

"Don't call me that," he monotoned. He let go of her shovel, which she let fall to the ground. He fixed his gaze to show just how displeased he was, his lips turned into an angry frown.

Their interaction sparked the other boys' interest. The sound of shovels being pelted into the ground ceased, and every eye turned toward them. With the exception of Zero, who had not even indicated that anything existed outside of his hole. Her smirk only widened.

"Call you what, _pooh bear?"_

* * *

"And there they go again," Pit said from his spot.

"_Stop it, Stone."_

"Knew it couldn't last," Zig added. Magnet chuckled heavily, watching the two with amusement.

"_I'll stop when you stop."_

"Do you think we should stop 'em?" Pit asked, not even attempting to move toward the bickering twosome.

"_If ya didn't notice, _sweetheart, _I did stop."_

"Don't think we could if we wanted to," Magnet said. Squid stayed silent, watching them a moment longer before returning to his digging with a new vigor.

_Clank._

"_Don't kick my shovel, pooh bear."_

"_Don't throw dirt at me, sweetheart."_

"How long you think they gonna keep this up for?" Magnet asked, leaning on his shovel, hands folded over the top, chin against his fingers.

"'Til one of 'em kills the other," Squid grumbled, still not looking up from his emptying hole.

"_You bastard! Don't kick dirt into my hole!"_

"_Christ, if you wasn't a damn girl, I'd swear I'd knock you out."_

"_Huh, I'm having the same dilemma."_

"My money's on X," Pit said confidently.

"I dunno, man. She's a scary little thing," Zig retorted. "'Member her threat of castration? Still has me sleepin' with one eye open."

"Dawg, everythin' got you sleepin' with one eye open."

"_Hey! Why ain't you diggin'?"_

Their attention shot over to X, who was striding away from Stone's hole.

"Something caught your interest, boys?" he asked, squatting next to Armpit, eyes hidden by the coated glasses, mouth set in a straight line.

"N-naw, dawg. We just takin' a quick break," Pit stuttered, ashamed at being caught.

"Yeah, X. It's hot out here," Magnet added lamely. X's eyebrow quirked up at the obvious cover. Stone came walking up behind him, hands on her hips, smirk on her lips.

"Hey, pooh bear. I think we've upset the children."

To everyone's surprise, their leader let out a laugh.

"Yeah, sweetheart. I think we did."

Squid drove his shovel into the earth with a little more force than was necessary. Nobody else noticed.

* * *

Mr. Sir was the first one to visit their site that morning. The boys started their queuing (Squid back in his rightful place behind Armpit) and were yet again interrupted by X, who had grabbed Zero roughly by the elbow, and pushed him back behind Stone.

"You're here now," he said simply.

She just grimaced at him. She turned to Zero, whose face was full of shock, and smiled sadly at him.

"Daddy says so," she offered. He smiled at her, but neither moved to change the order back.

She heard X scoff as he moved up to the front of the line.

"Can I continue, or you girls gonna dance some more?" Mr. Sir asked gruffly. When X nodded at Mr. Sir, he let out a sarcastic grunt.

"Alright, yer majesty. Glad to have yer approval," he barked, grabbing X's canteen roughly from his hand.

When Stone approached him, his lips turned up into a satisfied smirk. For what, she had no idea.

"Hey, girlie. How goes the diggin'?"

"Fine, Mr. Sir," she replied tiredly, handing him her canteen. He eyed her quickly, before turning the handle on the spigot.

"Nothin' interestin' happen?" he asked, taking his time filling up her bottle.

"Not much, Mr. Sir," she said, trying to keep the patience in her voice.

"Why he walkin' funny?" he asked abruptly. Stone raised her eyebrows amusedly. So he was curious about Pendanski.

"Guess he told the Warden something she didn't like." He snorted loudly as he handed her back her water, but said nothing else about it.

* * *

Stone hadn't seen Pendanski all day. Not that morning, where in his place of official shovel dispenser, was a faceless counselor she hadn't really noticed before. Not at lunch, it was Mr. Sir, again, who'd brought their food. And not since she'd shown back up at camp after finishing her hole.

She wasn't worried, nor really concerned, about the man's well-being. Sure that whatever reason he had for staying wherever-the-hell-he-was, the bastard deserved.

She just really wanted a pencil.

But she figured that he probably blamed her about his injury and would most likely refuse her the use of said utensil.

So, it was to her complete surprise, that later that afternoon, he'd entered the Wreck Room, sought her out, and handed her a pencil.

"You have it until the end of the evening. I will be by to collect it then, Ms. Brickman," he said, smiling his trade-mark smile. She took it cautiously. He was going to act like nothing had happened. That irked her far more than if he had started yelling at her for things she had no control over.

This man was planning something. She could feel it.

He said a few more things to the camp population at large, then turned and limped back out of the entryway.

They were all silent for a moment, before X-Ray turned to Stone and asked her the question that was traveling about the room.

"What happened to Mom?" His eyes were full of suspicious amusement. She shrugged, uncoiling herself from her slouching position against the wall.

"Don't really know," she answered. X just raised his eyebrow at her in disbelief.

"Seriously, pooh bear. Don't know a damn thing. Wasn't in the cabin with them," she said, pushing herself away from the wall. He chuckled, sending another wave of surprise through the group of D-tenters.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," he laughed. It was a moment before the other boys, their shock finally diminishing, laughed along with him. The whole nickname beyond a nickname was ridiculous, and would surely get old quick. But for the time being, it helped her feel a little bit closer to her leader, like they were bonding over something that wasn't a past rather left forgotten.

She couldn't decide if they were friends or just fellow commiserators. Whatever this new level in their turbulent relationship was, she didn't really feel the need to examine it at the moment.

She had some writing to do.

Excusing herself, she left the joking boys to wander back to her tent. Zero eyed her movements, but made no attempt to follow. She shrugged it off. Zero didn't need to shadow her. And she didn't need him to. She was fine on her own.

Halfway to her tent, arms encircled her waist and she was pulled into the shadows of a surrounding tent.

Her heart stopped as a large hand clamped down over her widening lips, silencing the scream that sat on her tongue.

She tried to move, but her body was frozen, mind too blank to do anything.

_Run, Lee. Run._

She couldn't.

"Shut up or I'll kill ya without thinkin' twice 'bout it." She didn't recognize the voice, but knew that it didn't matter either way. Every boy here was ten times her strength.

But that didn't mean she couldn't try.

Her body sparked with life and she started thrashing in his arms. Her muffled scream was barely audible in the tent.

He was smart, though. He kept his hand firmly locked over her lips, and kept her waist and arms circled tightly with his other arm. Her legs kicked about, but he easily moved out of the way. There was no doubt about it. He'd done this before. Plenty.

Something clicked as it hit the ground. He pulled her backwards, easily manipulating her small, struggling frame.

The pencil crunched loudly under his large foot, and Stone let out another muffled scream.

_James…where are you…_

For the first time in years, Charlene Brickman allowed a tear to run down her cheek.


End file.
